Game-counter.



G. H. BARKER.

GAME COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI: a, 1911.`

Patented 113151912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE I-I. BARKER, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

GAIlIE-COUNTER.

Application led June 3, 1911.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE I-I. BAKKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Counters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to game counters and has particular reference to a counter for use in the game of cribbage.

It is customary in the game of cribbage to employ a counter composed of a base having four longitudinally extending rows of holes, there being thirty holes to each row. Two pegs are provided for each player which pegs are shifted alternately in order to show the total score and the last count.

I have provided in the present invention a counter having no loose pegs and having the additional feature that all the counts made during a half game are constantly 1n view. I have also provided means whereby the markers-which markers take the place of the pegs,-may be simultaneously returned to original position.

The advantages of a construction such as herein shown and described will be found in the fact that there are no pegs to become lost; that the runs of each player may be determined at a glance, whereas in the use of the peg system, only the last run is shown, and in the further advantage that all the markers in each row may be returned simultaneously.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a counter such as contemplated by me, some of the parts being broken away in order to more clearly illustrate the invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the markers.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that I provide a base 10 having a series of grooves 11 therein. In these grooves I seat tubes 12 each having a side opening extending throughout its length. These tubes are preferably lined with clot-h 13, or some similar friction element. It will be seen that the open side of the tube is placed uppermost. W'ithin the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

serial No. 631,074.

tube I mount my novel marker 141 substantially circular in outline and having One end 15 angularly disposed and pointed. A tongue 16 is struck out from the material forming the marker and projects toward its center. Mounted within base member 10 and concentric with the marker 14 is a shaft 17 having a longitudinally extending rib 1S adapted for coperation with the tongues 16 on the markers. On both ends of each shaft I provide a milled nut 19 for manually rotating the shaft. This milled nut ex,- tcnds slightly above the upper surface of the base member.

In mounting the marker 14C within the tube, the pointed end 15 is allowed to project above the upper surface of a cover plate 20 secured to the base by means of screws 21 or other suitable means. This cover plate is provided with rectangular openings 29. through which the ends 15 of members 14 project. It will be seen that by a slight touch of the finger, the member 14 may be shifted around its center within the tube whereby a greater portion of the marker is exposed above the cover plate 20. This is shown in Fig. 1 in the upper left hand and lower right hand corners. In Fig. 2 the actuating shafts are shown as having returned the markers to their original position whereas in dotted lines is shown the` position of the markers and the operating shaft prior to the rotation of the shaft returning the markers to unexposed posit-ion.

It will be understood that although I have described my counter as particularly applicable to Cribbage boards, it might be applied to numerous other uses. Also that it might be applied to the rails of billiard or pool tables. The markers may be made of contrasting colors or they may be numbered. In case of use in connection with billiard or pool tables the rows might be arranged on opposite sides or ends of the table. Various other modifications may be made, all within the spirit of my invent-ion.

I claim:

1. A game counter comprising, in combination, a base, a row of independently shiftable markers mounted in said base and having a portion extending above the same and a retracting member mounted in and longitudinally of said base, said ret-racting member being adapted to simultaneously return to original position all the markers in a single row, substantially as described.

2. A game counter comprising, in combination, a base, a row of independently shiftable markers mounted in said base and having a portion extending thereabove, each of said markers having a projection, and a longitudinally extending retracting member having projections adapted for coperation With the projections on the markers, Whereby all the said markers may be simultaneously returned to original position by said retracting member, substantially as described.

3. A game counter comprising, in combination, a base having a series of grooves, tubes seated in said grooves, said tubes being provided with side openings, substantially circular markers mounted in said tubes, each having, a portion extending through the opening in a tube and also having a project-ion, shafts mounted in said base member and concentric With said tubes, said shafts having a plurality of projections, and means for rotating said shafts whereby said markers may be returned to original position, substantially as described.

t. A game counter, comprising, in coinbination, a base having a groove therein, a plurality of markers in said groove and independently shiftable with relation to said base, a shaft adapted for cooperation with each of said markers whereby all the markers may be simultaneously returned to their original position, substantially as described.

GEORGE H. BARKER. Witnesses:

CHAs. F. MURRAY, T. D. BUTLER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

